What will you spend your extra �120 on?

[jake-the-peg]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7397705 .stm

I imagine though that many of the Tory supporters on here will be so disgusted with the cynicism that they'll be donating theirs to charity!

Tell us which charity you'll be donating yours to!

[pastafreak]

Who are the people who should but won't profit from this generousity?? Has that been mentioned yet??

[LoftyLottie]

Well Shaneystar and I to start with! Any people between 60 and 65 who are retired and have a small private pension.

[Ice.Maiden]

But lofty hun - generous as this'll be.....the rise'll only be swallowed up by further inctreases in food prices, etc.

[LoftyLottie]

And women on a state pension between 60-65 whose Serps contributions have brought their pension to above the personal tax allowance.

[Ice.Maiden]

Don't care what anyone says. The poor continue to get poorer, and for the rich, it doesn't seem to matter very much. Where's it all going to end? If prices just go up and up...how are people going to live?

[LoftyLottie]

Yes, Ice-Maiden. I will have to resort to burning my furniture for warmth this winter and shooting pigeons to eat with my home grown worzels!!

[Quinlad]

naomi is right. No-one can deny that Labour have let down those who traditionally support the left. Although the very poor have been helped by New Labour like no government is 30 years. Think of the Sure Start initiatives or the massive number of people (and children) dragged out of poverty in the last 10 years.

Don't expect to see this in the Daily Mail of course.

That said, the 10p tax fiasco is an absoulte disgrace. And it's no wonder that the left feel let down.

It would be great if those who cared about social justice and fair taxation reacted to this by voting Lib Dem by way of protest. Instead, they'll switch to the enemy of fair distribution - the tories. Which is like opposing Hitler's humanity and voting for Pol Pot instead.

[LoftyLottie]

Never in a million years will I vote Tory!

[DrFilth]

( they'll switch to the enemy of fair distribution - the tories. Which is like opposing Hitler's humanity and voting for Pol Pot instead. )
after the local elections i had a scan at the results and in some places the bnp had more votes than the tories

[Ice.Maiden]

Interesting, Quinlad.
You think the Sure Start thing was a good idea? I know people who took advantage of that, and they thought they were going to be a little better off. Not so. Nnce their housing benefit or whatever you call it was cut, these folk had to find huge rents...which took them back to square one. It wasn't just that, either. It caused a lot of stress to someone I know who fell ill, wasn't in a salaried job, and they didn't have anough money to pay for their home. they almost lost it!

[DrFilth]

quinlad ( dragged out of poverty in the last 10 years. )
i have been dragged into it ?????????????????

[LoftyLottie]

Along with loads of others Dr Filth. The divide between rich and the working poor has become much wider in recent years.

[shaneystar2]

And ..while I am on my soapbox ..if I hear that spin " Hard working families " once more I will scream .What do they think Joe Public are.? Thick ?
Anyone with any common sense and who has a family and is a decent member of society will obviously work to better themselves,bring their kids up to be decent human beings and generally toe the line regardless of who is in charge . .By creating a benefit society this government are going against their own principles and ideals which was a party for the representation of the lower paid working class . They have shot the low paid working class up the jacksy .

[LoftyLottie]

Absolutely, Shaneystar.

I'm all fired up now and ready to go! Chance of sleeping is nil!!

[Ice.Maiden]

It's not just working people who bring their children up to be decent human beings you know. Some folk are on benefits through necessity - i.e. disablement or long-term genuine sickness. What annoys me, are the people who work 24/7 and don't give a monkey's about who's looking after the children, and those who're then too tired from all their hard work to spend any time with them. Anyway - that's another story. Just a thought....

[LoftyLottie]

I don't think Shaneystar was decrying people on benefits Ice.maiden. As she says, most people want to work, but this Government has made it easier for families to live on benefits than go to work and they just can't afford to do so.

[Ice.Maiden]

I agree lofty - and with shaneystar on that - but why do you think that is? There are still hundreds of jobs that are very poorly paid, so folk have to work longer hours to make up some sort of living wage. Then that takes them over the threshold of being able to claim housing benefit, etc. It's a vicious circle. Please don't get me wrong. I believe that if a person CAN work, they should, but whenever anyone mentions benefits, it's automatically assumed that the people who claim them are scroungers and wasters.

[DrFilth]

if i was a young female with a couple of young kids and getting housing benefit , tax credit, community charge paid and whatever else i don't think i would want to try and work

[LoftyLottie]

Personally, I think that Mr and Mrs Average in this country are tired out and apathetic due to working too hard and trying to keep things together, but Mr and Mrs Average just plod along without complaining too much and get overlooked completely quite simply because it's those that shout the loudest that get the action.

[vehelpfulguy]

>People who get their sums wrong shouldn't be in charge of financial matters then

When Gordon Brown was chancellor he decided to sell half our gold reserves. This happened to be at a time when the price of gold was very low.

Countires like China snaped up our gold, and as it happens the price of gold then went up.

Brown's desire to sell the gold when the price was low rather than wait till the price went up cost this country over 2 BILLION POUNDS.